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Intosport.com announces landmark sponsorship contract with David Lloyd Leisure
29/05/2009
David Lloyd Leisure will be the headline sponsor of Loughborough-based intosport.com’s tennis education and coaching initiative, which will launch in June 2009 and will be known as The David Lloyd Tennis School.
The sponsorship agreement will place David Lloyd Leisure’s brand at the heart of intosport.com’s high quality coaching content, as well as throughout the Company’s website, www.intosport.com, delivering prominent brand exposure to digital audiences.
Connect Midlands, the not-for-profit network part-funded by the ERDF and backed by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has been working alongside intosport.com for almost a year, providing guidance and support across a number of business areas including future financing, investment and how to manage growth in uncertain economic times.
Colin Miles, managing director of intosport.com explains the background to the deal:
“David Lloyd was looking for innovative ways to access audiences online that have an interest in health and exercise and an interest in playing tennis. It was also looking for content for their own website and ways to encourage more people to play tennis. intosport.com provides that platform and reach and ticks another important box for David Lloyd – encouraging people to learn about tennis and lead a more healthy lifestyle.
The David Lloyd Tennis School at intosport.com will comprise more than 40 high quality videos educating viewers about the game of tennis including Skills and Tactics Guides and advice on Physical Conditioning for the sport. In addition, the intosport.com site will provide guidance regarding Competitive Performance, Psychology and Nutrition & Hydration.
The David Lloyd Tennis School will be free to access nationwide at intosport.com as well as being available through a variety of online distribution partners and the Members area of the David Lloyd UK website.
Colin Miles continues;
“We’re delighted to be working with David Lloyd Leisure. Our tennis program, which is a real first for the sport, will enable David Lloyd Leisure to access a whole new digital audience and will provide tremendous brand coverage online through intosport.com and our distribution partners.
“What’s more, David Lloyd Leisure has made it possible for high quality, credibly authored coaching content to be available to the general public for free”
David Brosse, head of digital marketing at David Lloyd Leisure said;
“This is an exciting new partnership for David Lloyd. Sponsorship of the Tennis School at intosport.com provides us with extensive digital brand presence and enables us to access a key target audience. We wanted high quality coaching content and a programme that delivered accountability for our marketing spend and intosport.com delivers exactly that.
Paul Jenkinson, regional manager of Connect Midlands, also based in Loughborough said:
“I congratulate intosport.com for striking a sponsorship agreement with such a well known brand as David Lloyd Leisure, particularly in these difficult times.”
In addition to the sponsorship contract, the companies have agreed on a further digital display advertising and lead generation campaign designed to generate new enquiries from potential racquet members.
Colin Miles concludes:
“We’re looking forward to launching several more online Academies this year and we’re on the lookout for more sponsors. We certainly offer a creative and cost effective way for companies to reach a substantial online audience, whilst at the same time making a genuine difference to grass roots sport – which is particularly interesting to many companies as we move towards 2012.”
Submitted by Sarah Crennell